sourdough starter ( d.i.y.)

for as long as i can remember, my grandmother would make the-BEST sourdough waffles from a sourdough starter. it was her trademark. when we showed up to celebrate a holiday or birthday we knew exactly what we were getting and we were excited. my favorite part was that she would always make more then any of us could ever consume, so you never felt guilty going back for seconds, or fifths.

with easter coming up and it being a fantastic opportunity to make yummy breakfast and brunch foods, we thought we would share a recipe and printable tags to inspire your own sourdough tradition.

1. mix the flour, sugar, and yeast together in a mixing bowl (ceramic or glass… no metal or plastic!) that can hold 2 quarts. gradually stir in the water and mix until it forms a thick paste. any lumps will disappear in the process.

if you are a bit wild in the kitchen (aka clumsy) like me, you’ll also want to wear an apron!

2. set your bowl with the mixture on a rimmed plate or tray and cover with a dish cloth. let it stand in a warm place (about 70 degrees) for 3 to 5 days. stir the mixture once per day.

your starter is ready when it develops a pleasant sour smell and looks bubbly.

3. next, transfer your starter to a container with a tight lid and store in the refrigerator. mason jars work great for this. you can also divide your starter into two containers (1 cup per starter is usually enough) and set aside to give a friend or neighbor.

next, download the cute labels below, cut them out, hole punch or circle the month and year you made the sourdough and place on the lid of a mason jar or use contact paper to adhere it to a different container. wouldn’t they make a cute hostess gift?

(click to download)

( see the cute pintucked napkin? it’s one of the projects from our threads sewing classes that will be released in just a few weeks…. april 9th!)

when you are ready to use your starter in a recipe, remove it from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. pour it into a glass or ceramic bowl and add 1 cup flour and 1 cup warm water. stir and let sit out overnight or at least 8 hours. return at least one cup back to it’s jar or container to store and use the rest in a recipe or as a gift. be sure to read any sourdough recipe carefully as some of them already include the above steps.

***UPDATE: use or “feed” your sourdough starter every 2 to 3 months. use the same steps to feed your starter as you would to use it in a recipe outlined above. you can find other recipes that require you to “feed” the starter every day or that use dairy ingredients instead of yeast. also note that (like most things) your sourdough starter will get better with age!***

I’ve made starter before, and I put it in a gallon size ziploc bag. It seals it all in nicely, but leaves room for the “gassy emissions” that the yeast give off as they feed and grow. I did have to “burp” the bag once a day or so, but otherwise, it worked fine.

How long will it last if you continuously use it(returning 1 cup)? Do you ever have to add more yeast or start over? How long if you don’t use it very often? Do you have any recommendations for sourdough bread recipes? Thanks! This is great!

Hi Marthe, Thanks for visiting us and leaving a comment. I’ve seen a couple recipes that use yogurt or milk as substitute for the yeast. My Grandma’s recipe calls for yeast and it’s the only one we’ve used, so i thought it was best to stick to what we know for the post.

I’m going to start you sourdough started here in the next few days. Could you share some of your recipes that you use it in? Also, I ‘m not seeing the “update” section at the end of your post for feeding instrucitons. Can you help? Thanks . Connie

Yay – super easy and super excited, I made it yesterday, sourdough virgin… Therefore have posted lots of pics in my blog. It seems to be developing really well, and already has that great smell going on!

My mom used to always make sourdough waffles for Christmas brunch. I remember her making the starter and everything. Thanks for the post. Now I need to call and bug her about why she hasn’t done that in a decade or so.

Glad I came across your version of this. All others seem to need to be fed OFTEN, and needed much more tending to. This one would fill the bill for me on several levels, and I look forward to putting a batch together. I want sourdough, but I don’t want to take it on to raise 🙂

I make my sourdough without yaest…. Just water, flour and honey. And a lot of patience :)))
Then one container in the freezer, one in the refrigerator and one for daily fresh bread. With these cute labels, the container I offer sometimes will look nice. Good idea! Thank you very very much

[…] at D*S, so it seemed fitting to kick off the morning with something food related. This clever DIY sourdough starter kit from Armommy would make a great gift, weekend project with friends/kids or just a nice housewarming present for […]